Laura Sanfilippo eTwinning Pedagicol Advisor of Sicily, IRRE Researcher

eTwinning: the European Dimension of Education

I would like to start by quoting a few words by Marcel Proust:

“The only true voyage of discovery is not to go to new places, but to have other eyes”.

I have chosen these words to start with, because they capture the spirit of what I would like to propose.In the Italian School System, and, in particular in the Sicilian one, there are already a lot of good didactic activities: thanks to the possibilities offered by eTwinning , European students can have a great opportunity to grow together through the technological innovation.Through this type of contact the minds of students are enriched by exchange of ideas.

eTwinning represents a marvellous instrument which can be used by all those involved in the whole teaching-learning process wishing to modernise their didactic techniques, embracing different ideas, discussing their scholastic and professional experiences, defining what it means to live together democratically in an European dimension, a dimension made up of respect, of willingness to exchange ideas and continuous enrichment.

Etwinning can enable schools to enter into an European dimension of education, thanks also to the presence of new technology which represents an element of transformation and innovation.

What’s eTwinning?

What’s eTwinning?eTwinning is a framework for schools to collaborate on the Internet with partner schools in other European countries.It promotes school collaboration in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by providing support, tools and services to make it easy for schools to form short or long term partnerships in any subject area

What’s eTwinning?eTwinning helps update students’, teachers' and trainers' professional skills in the pedagogical and collaborative use of Information and communication technologies. European students and teachers should have the opportunity to participate in an educational project with their partners of other European countries.I think that working with a school in another country is a great way of motivating our students and can enhance our own professional development.

eLearning programme

eTwinning is part of the European Commission's eLearning programmeThe different action lines of the eLearning programme are:• Promoting digital literacy• Promoting European virtual campuses• e-Twinning and promotion of teacher training• Transversal actions for the promotion of e-learning in Europe

Decision N 2318/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council

of5 December 2003 adopting a multiannual programme (2004 to 2006) for the effective integration of information andcommunication technologies (ICT) in educationand training systems in Europe (eLearning Programme)

In Lisbon, 2000, The Commission adopted the elearning initiative to adapt the EU's education and training systems to the knowledge economy and digital culture. It set the objective of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in the world by 2010.

The Commission acknowledges that even though Europe enjoys one of the highest levels of education and has the necessary investment capacity, it still has a lot of work to do in the use of the new information and communication technologies. Elearning is designed to enable Europe to catch up by intensifying its efforts.

(ICT and innovation in school organization, Linda Rossi Holden)

eTwinning could prove to be decisive in fostering a European dimension in education and awareness among students of the European model of a multilingual and multicultural society.This experience will contribute to improving intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

EUROPEAN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPEDINBURGH 25th Febraury 2006

Laura Sanfilippo Palermo 26 maggio 2006

What happens in a schools involved in an eTwinning project?

All the teachers in the school can be involved in etwinning, depending on the school’s organisation.

Richard Shotton, during the Development Workshop in Edimburgh suggested ways in which every teacher could give a contribution

there by guaranteeing the participation of every subject of the curriculum in the etwinning project

• Teachers should work collaboratively and focus on methodologies for the collaborative aspects of school partnerships.Partnerships may run several projects together or twin up with other schools for different projects.Ready-made project kits are step-by-step guides to successful eTwinnning projects:

The European eTwinning helpdesk, together with teachers from different countries, have designed the eTwinning kits for teachers who are looking for concrete ideas on how to implement a European collaborative project.The eTwinning kits can be adapted to different teaching contexts.

• Foreign languages, literature and culture • Mathematics and science, environment, geography • Informatics and ICT for education • Citizenship, religion and ethics, philosophy • History and geography • Visual art, theatre, music, dance, media • Europe - its institutions, European rights and values • Special needs education • Industry, economics, mobility, vocational training • Sports

The main themes of ready of ready-made project kits are the following:

European Development Workshop

Networking and partner finding will be held for teachers in different European contries until June 2007

. • 29 September - 1 October 2006 – Nottingham, United Kingdom Focus: Special Needs Education (for pupils age 4-19)

• 19-21 October 2006 – Lisbon, PortugalFocus: Science (for pupils age 12-19)

• 17-19 November 2006 – Copenhagen, Denmark & Malmo, SwedenFocus: Cross Curricular education (for pupils age 4-19)

• 8-10 February 2007 – Brussels, Belgium Focus: Cross Curricular education (for pupils age 4-19) Working language: French

• 15-17 February 2007 – Amsterdam, The NetherlandsFocus: Social Sciences

• 22-24 March 2007 – Dublin, IrelandFocus: Head Teachers (for pupils age 4-19)

• 12-14 April 2007 – Helsinki, FinlandFocus: Vocational Subjects

• 19-21 April 2007 – Slovenia, Nova GoricaFocus: Language teachers (for pupils age 12-19)

• 4-6 May 2007 – Bonn, GermanyFocus: Cross Curricular Education (for pupils age 4-19)

• 10-12 May – Bratislava, SlovakiaFocus: Cross Curricular Education (for pupils age 4-19)

• 7-10 June – Tallinn, EstoniaFocus: Primary Teachers (for pupils age 4-12)

Laura Sanfilippo Palermo 26 maggio 2006

How NMLs manage Knowledge outside and inside schools?

Illustration By Randy Mays For The Washington Post

How the New Millennium Learners manage knowledge inside and outside schools?

• They are digital natives and they are really a “paste and copy” generation!

• They look for they need, grasping information surfing on the net.

• Today, the use of ITC is very important in school life. Information and communication technologies contribute to the quality of education and training and to Europe’s move to a knowledge-based society.ICT is an umbrella term that includes any communication application, for instance computer and network hardware and software, distance learning, video-conferencing, podcasting, wiki and blog.

Second Life

Laura Sanfilippo Palermo may 7th 2007

• Student use more digital tools at home then at school

• Develop digital literacy at home by chatting about math homework unpromted by the teacher, writing fan, fiction stories and creating photos, animation, music and filmclips

• Web pages about hobbies are quite advanced in design, with interactive features and blog functions

(MORTEN SØBY Network for IT Research and Competence in Education, ITU, Norway)

• However, this productive and creative digital competence is rarely used in school setting

(MORTEN SØBY Network for IT Research and Competence in Education, ITU, Norway)

• However, the computer lab must be organised carefully in order to protect the students.In my opinion, the most important thing is that the students’ family feels they are protected while at school, that they are guided by a competent staff, that the time that they spend at school is useful for their intellectual growth and personal development.

What’s the Twinspace?

? !

The twinspace is a

collaborative workspace

on the web developed

specifically for etwinning

activities

The TwinSpace

• The TwinSpace is a collaborative workspace developed specifically for eTwinning activities.

• All schools registered in eTwinning have a private workspace on the web which can be used to collaborate with partners.

• The TwinSpace is a forum where files, documents and links can be shared between partners. It has an internal messaging system and chat room where teachers and students communicate in a closed network. It is browser-based and works with all operating systems.

The twinspace

• The twinspace, the platform dedicated to school partner, has a high pedagogical value due to the fact that it offers various possibilities of dialogue and exchange of ideas through the use of the forum and the calendar.

• In the calendar, for example, the partners can show when their holidays start and end. These dates being different in the European members states.

• Simply by showing when birthdays are, the calendar can give the opportunity to exchange greetings among the young European citizens and establish friendship among them.

…in Sicily

In Sicily

• In Sicily we have already set up a lot of eTwining partnerships, and almost all of these have asked to be included in Medtwinning.

• A collaboration with schools in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, which, like us, also belong to the Mediterranean area, represents a natural addition to the eTwinning project.

…in Sicily

Sicily has been touched in its history, art, and cuisine by other cultures, and so it can serve as a natural bridge over the Mediterranean in order to encourage dialogue among contries from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.Due to the position of our region and its historical and cultural background, Sicily is in an ideal position to serve as a bridge between cultures. Not only can it mediate between these cultures, but it can also find in its own culture the various elements which have enriched and developed it and which can lead to reciprocal understanding, respect and greater tolerance.

…in Sicily

Our aims is:To Know and compare different ideasWiden experiences and knowledgeCreate opportunities for dialogue and reciprocal growthGive importance to historical, linguistic, artistic and culinary influences which are common to the various countriesEliminate barriersDeconstruct stereotypesGet to know other culturesLive as citizens of the world

…in Sicily

• The name of an etwinning project is “So far, so close”, "Living our environment" and “We, the citizens of Europe”.In the first and in the second project students use English to communicate and in the third project they use French.

“Bisogna evitare la globalizzazione delle menti, e quindi mantenere la

diversità della concettualizzazione, dei punti di vista, dei modi di categorizzare il reale,

di definire i colori - la pluralità delle lingue.”(Le sfide di Babele, Paolo E. Balboni)

• I think that eTwinning permits a change of the working form in the traditional classroom and contributes to pedagogical innovation. eTwinning has contributed to increasing our school’s European contacts and has opened our school to the surrounding world.

“We must avoid the globalization of minds, and thus maintain a diversity in conceptualization, in points of view, in ways of classifying reality and defining colours - a plurality of languages.”

(from Le sfide di Babele by Paolo E. Balboni)

http://etwinning.indire.it

http://etwinninginsicily.blogspot.com

http://www.etwinning.net

Laura Sanfilippo eTwinning Pedagicol Advisor of Sicilysanfilippo@irresicilia.it

Thank you!